Have you ever watched riders at rally events and wished you could do what they do? If you’ll be in Australia in March, 2023, there’s an event coming up that you may want to know about. It’s called the Openroads Rally, and it’s scheduled to take place from March 10 through 13, 2023, in Myrtleford, Victoria.
Unlike many other events with the word “Rally” in the name, the Openroads Rally is about helping amateur adventure riders get comfortable with doing roadbook navigation. No previous experience is required, and routes for riders of all skill levels are available. You can learn and go at your own pace, and while you can of course rack up points and win prizes at the events, the most important thing you can win is greater confidence in your navigation and off-road skills.
To make it even easier for you to concentrate on leveling up, both recovery and medical personnel will be on-site at the event to help, should any riders get stuck or injured. That way, you have a few less things to worry about while you’re familiarizing yourself with the road book and how to most effectively get to grips with the course on your particular bike.
What’s involved in the Openroads Rally? Multiple events are planned, including a navigation event, an enduro course, a barrel race, a slow speed race, and more. Since riders of all skill levels are encouraged to attend, multiple tracks are available for the event. Checkpoints are marked out along the way, and you can rack up points with each checkpoint you discover.
You’re also welcome to do more than one track, as long as the track is open. Prizes haven’t been announced yet, but we’ll include a link to the event page in our Sources so you can learn more (and keep tabs on that info when it’s posted). Kids are welcome to participate, too!
At the time of writing on November 29, 2022, all the Early Bird slots have sold out. However, regular Rider Passes are still available for $350 apiece, which include eligibility for the navigation challenge, dirt track, enduro, and barrel race events, three nights camping, and eligibility for prizes. Moto camping, car camping, and caravan camping are all options. Hotel rooms may also be available in town, but they book in advance (and will incur additional charges), so you’ll want to work out those logistics sooner rather than later.
If you want a low-stress way to enhance your offroad skills, the Openroads Rally sounds like a potentially great way to do it. If you go, we’d love to hear how your experience is!
